5 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 30, 8:07 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 907 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 .UPDATE... ...WILL UPDATE THE ZONES SHORTLY FOR TORNADO WATCH 345 UNTIL 09Z/4AM CDT FOR ALL OF HUNS CWA... --BCC/27 && .PREV DISCUSSION... SLIGHTLY LONGER TERM...THE INTENSE CONVECTIVE LINE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP FROM SRN IA TO THE RED RIVER VALLEY EARLY THIS AFTN IS EXPECTED TO SURGE EAST TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. TIMING OF THE SQUALL LINE AND HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER STILL APPEARS TO BE IN THE 06Z TO 12Z (TIME FRAME FOR FAR SRN TN/NRN AL. OF COURSE...MAIN CONCERN WITH THE A SQUALL LINE WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS WITHIN EMBEDDED LEWPS OR BOWING LINE SEGMENTS. HOWEVER...0-1KM SRH VALUES AND LCL HEIGHTS WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO ISOLD TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. WITH PW VALUES NEAR 2 AND STRONG THTE ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT...EXPECT 1-2 RAIN AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...DUE TO DRY SOIL CONDITIONS AND HIGH FFG VALUES WILL HOLD OFF ON A FLOOD WATCH ATTM. CONVECTIVE LINE WILL PUSH SOUTH OF CWFA DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY WITH A BREAK EXPECTED MON AFTN. THE GFS/ETA HAVE ACTUALLY CONVERGED ON A MORE SRLY TRACK WITH THE FRONT (OR THE REMNANTS OF IT)...SO HAVE TRIMMED POPS BACK A BIT FOR MON AFTN/NIGHT. WILL PLACE HIGHEST POPS FOR MON NIGHT ACROSS THE CULLMAN TO FT PAYNE CORRIDOR. THE ETA/GFS BUILDS A WEAK SFC RIDGE ACROSS THE REGION ON TUE AND FOCUS PRECIP WELL SOUTH OF THE TN VLY. THUS...WILL INCLUDE ONLY LOW POPS FOR THE TUE/TUE NIGHT PERIOD. LONGER TERM..A S/W TROUGH WILL DIVE SE ACROSS THE OH/TN VLYS ON WED. THE GFS TRIES TO PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH OUR RAIN CHANCES WILL LIKELY DIMINISH FOR THE THU/FRI TIME FRAME. THUS...WILL HOLD ON TO FAIRLY HIGH POPS FOR WED/WED NIGHT AND KEEP A DRY FCST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL ENTER THE PICTURE BY THE WEEKEND BRINGING ANOTHER SHOT OF CONVECTION TO THE TN VLY. --15 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 930 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-311000- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 930 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...(THROUGH TONIGHT)... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT FOR THE WHOLE AREA. A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING EAST ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...WITH A FEW CELLS OUT AHEAD OF IT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DUE TO THE HIGH DEGREE OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE...THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED TORNADOES AND STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON MEMORIAL DAY AND TUESDAY...WITH CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A SECONDARY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTH OVER THE AREA BY MONDAY NIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE. ONCE AGAIN...SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN BEING THE MAIN THREATS. THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON AND OFF THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACTIVATED. SCHAUB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 757 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-310600- COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE- LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN- 757 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ...SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA AND PARTS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE... AT 7 PM...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM EASTERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS. THE CURRENT RATE OF SPEED OF THE LINE SUGGESTS THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH FAR NORTHWEST ALABAMA AROUND 11 PM TONIGHT. FROM THERE...THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH RAIN ENDING IN THE EAST BY MID MORNING ON MEMORIAL DAY. THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINE WILL HAVE SEVERE POTENTIAL... WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. PERSONS PLANNING HOLIDAY TRAVEL SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS. WRS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1120 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ALZ001-002-310450- COLBERT-LAUDERDALE- 1120 PM CDT SUN MAY 30 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHWEST ALABAMA... AT 11:20 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AT MORE THAN 50 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. AT THIS RATE...THESE STORMS WILL CROSS THE MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA STATE LINE BY 11:45 PM. PERSONS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA...ESPECIALLY LAUDERDALE AND COLBERT COUNTIES...SHOULD PLAN TO TAKE COVER AS THESE STORMS APPROACH. AVOID ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND TELEPHONES... AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BCC
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:45 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread straight line thunderstorm winds damage occurred across northern Lincoln County. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down and at least one barn was significantly damaged.
F1 tornado moved out of Madison County in Alabama and into southeast Lincoln County in Tennessee. The tornado snapped numerous trees and power poles with some of the debris falling on structures.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a few trees near Flintville.
Strong straight line thunderstorm winds resulted in widespread wind damage across the southern half of Moore County. Most of the damage was confined to trees and power lines.
F1 tornado continued out of Lincoln County and into southwest Franklin County. The tornado snapped numerous trees and power lines as it passed just south of Huntland.
Thunderstorm winds knocked power lines on to a house in Huntland.
A F1 tornado touched down just east of Lynchburg and moved eastward out of Moore county and into Franklin county toward Tims Ford Lake. The tornado remained in rural areas with the damage confined to trees that were snapped and uprooted.
A F1 tornado moved eastward out of Moore County across parts of Tims Ford Lake and into northwest Franklin County before dissipating near Center Grove. While most of the damage was confined to trees, a few boats were overturned in Tims Ford Lake.
Thunderstorm winds overturned a couple of boats in Tims Ford Lake near Winchester.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2004Warnings in Tennessee, May 2004
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5400595, 5400596, 5400598, 5400599, 5400597, 5400600, 5400601, 5400602, 5400603.